5 times UFC fighters saved cards

A lot of work goes into planning UFC cards. On the promotional side of things, Dana White and his colleagues in upper management often pour every ounce of effort into generating interest in the marquee bouts that headline and co-headline their events. On the fighters' side of things, mixed martial artists competing under the UFC banner are expected to make it to the octagon without incident.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case given the near-infinite number of variables that can emerge to engulf the promotion's plans in chaos.

UFC 279, which took place this past Saturday, was one such event. A stunning weigh-in failure by rising welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev forced the promotion to reshuffle its scheduled fights in an effort to save the card.

The willingness showcased by the fighters to accept new opponents on one day's notice was commendable. In honor of their commitment to the promotion, this list looks at five fighters who have stepped up to save the promotion's cards.

#5. Jorge Masvidal - UFC 251

Outside of him competing for the ceremonial 'BMF' championship against Nate Diaz, 2020 marked the first time in Jorge Masvidal's career that he fought for an official UFC title.

On a three-fight win streak that featured finishes of Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz, 'Gamebred' was at the peak of his popularity. So, when UFC 251's scheduled main event between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns collapsed with only nine days remaining, the promotion was quick to call him.

When the UFC 251 main event needed a late replacement, @GamebredFighter answered the call and embarked on an epic journey 🏝

UFC Fight Island: Declassified on ESPN+ reveals never before seen footage from Fight Island's early days ▶️ ES.PN/UFCDeclassified https://t.co/4mBlpOLSgm

'The Nigerian Nightmare' was in desperate need of an opponent after Burns was identified as a COVID-19 risk. Jorge Masvidal accepted the UFC's offer and Abu Dhabi stirred with excitement.

As the card took place during the height of the pandemic era, generating revenue was as important as it has ever been. Losing the main event bout was not an option. Thankfully, Masvidal's involvement not only saved the card but generated 1.3 million PPV buys.

While the event was a financial success, the matchup that headlined it was a fairly mundane affair, with Usman trapping Masvidal against the fence with an over-under grip in the clinch and stomping his feet en route to a convincing but quiet unaninmous decision. Their rematch, however, could not have been more different.